National University clinched the first Final Four slot in the UAAP Season 85 Women’s Basketball Tournament after turning back Kacey Dela Rosa and Ateneo de Manila University, 74-60, Wednesday at UST Quadricentennial Pavillion.
With their ninth win this season – their 105th straight overall – the Lady Bulldogs made the post-season once again. They are just five wins away from punching their ticket to an eighth straight final.
But NU needed to impose its depth on Ateneo to secure the win.
“I confess, I’m a fan of Kacey Dela Rosa’s game. She plays at a consistently high level in every game.
“That is why the game plan for this ballgame is to limit her… She was averaging a double-double prior to this game. I thought we did a great job on her. It was way below her average. I give credit to our team,” said Lady Bulldogs head coach Aris Dimaunahan about the leading rookie of the tournament.
Dela Rosa ended up with 16 points and 14 rebounds – still down from the 19.8 points and 15.2 rebounds numbers she put up prior to the game.
NU trailed by as many as six points in the first half and “only” led by five, 57-52, entering the final frame.
The Lady Bulldogs bench would step up, though. Annick Edimo Tiky, Mikka Cacho, and Gypsy Canuto scored at will to help NU erect a 72-60 lead with 1:07 left. Meanwhile, the Blue Eagles simply faded out in the endgame, succumbing to turnovers and settling for long treys.
“I have to applaud my bench, especially Annick for stepping up,” said Dimaunahan about his senior foreign student-athlete, who got 10 points and nine rebounds.
Camille Clarin got 16 points for NU with five rebounds, five assists, and four steals. Canuto ended up with 13 points.
Ann Pingol and Mikka Cacho also delivered, with the former tallying 11 points and seven rebounds. Meanwhile, the latter got 10 points, nine rebounds, and two steals.
Ateneo saw its four-game winning streak snapped while falling to a 5-4 slate. The Blue Eagles remain in fourth place – two games ahead of University of the Philippines and Adamson University.
Junize Calago supported Dela Rosa with 16 points. Dana Nieves contributed 10 points and eight rebounds while Jhaz Joson added nine points, nine assists, and three steals.
NU will look to close in on a twice-to-beat advantage when it faces FEU next Sunday at 1:00 PM. Ateneo, meanwhile, will face archrival La Salle at 3:00 PM.
The Scores:
NU 74 – Clarin 16, Canuto 13, Pingol 11, Cacho 10, Edimo Tiky 10, Cayabyab 8, Fabruada 6, Betanio 0, Surada 0, Bartolo 0, Talas.
Ateneo 60 – Dela Rosa 16, Calago 16, Nieves 10, Joson 9, Miranda 5, Makanjuola 2, Villacruz 2, Eufemiano 0, Cruza 0, Penaranda 0.
Quarterscores: 16-18, 37-29, 57-52, 74-60.
